For a few seconds in Seattle, Iran believed it had seized a place in the knockout rounds. In the third minute of stoppage time, defender Shoja Khalilzadeh bundled the ball into the Egyptian net, ripped off his shirt and donned a pair of sunglasses in a celebration that emptied the Iranian bench. The VAR check that followed was clinical: a toe was offside, the goal disallowed, and the 1-1 scoreline restored. Moments later, Saeid Ezatolahi’s header struck the crossbar, and Iran’s third draw of the group stage was sealed.

The match had ignited early. Egypt’s Mahmoud Saber scored after five minutes, pouncing on a parried Mohamed Salah cross. Iran responded almost immediately: Ramin Rezaeian drove a sharp-angled shot into the roof of the net in the 14th minute, cancelling out the deficit. Between those goals, captain Mehdi Taremi saw a penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir, and he later rattled the bar with a header. The frantic opening gave way to a disjointed contest, but the late drama left Iran third in Group G with three points, behind Belgium and Egypt on five. Belgium’s simultaneous 5-1 rout of New Zealand secured top spot on goal difference.

After the final whistle, Taremi’s fury was directed not at the officials but at FIFA and the tournament’s logistics. “This is a disastrous World Cup,” he said, describing how his squad must shuttle between its base in Tijuana, Mexico, and US venues for each match, enduring hours-long border checks. He claimed that president Gianni Infantino visited the dressing room after the opening game and promised to resolve the problems, but nothing changed. “They have done everything possible to eliminate us,” Taremi said, adding that from Iran’s perspective, “they want us out.” The Iranian federation later left a handwritten note in the Seattle locker room thanking the city and invoking fair play, a gesture it had also made in Los Angeles. The note carried the number 168, a reference to an airstrike on a school in Minab that Iranian authorities say killed 168 girls.

The match unfolded against a charged geopolitical backdrop. Hours earlier, US Central Command announced strikes on military targets inside Iran, accusing Tehran of violating a ceasefire. Inside the stadium, the fixture had been designated a “Pride Match”; rainbow flags were visible, and Taremi told reporters that while his religion did not accept it, he respected LGBTQ people. Some Iranian supporters waved pre-revolution flags and booed the national anthem, continuing a pattern seen at previous games.

Iran must now wait for the conclusion of the group stage to learn if it advances as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Its fate hinges on results involving Croatia, Algeria and DR Congo. Egypt, through to the last 32 for the first time, will face Australia in Dallas, while Belgium awaits a third-placed opponent.